Paige’s return to SmackDown on August 14 gives WWE an immediate follow-up to the collapse of her partnership with Nikki and Brie Bella, but the circumstances have changed considerably since SummerSlam.

Paige confirmed through social media that she will be back on the next episode from TD Garden in Boston. Her announcement followed Nikki Bella’s explanation on the August 7 SmackDown for why the Bellas attacked their former partner after their SummerSlam defeat.

The result is a storyline that has moved quickly from an alliance built around Fatal Influence to a direct dispute over responsibility for everything that went wrong.

Nikki Bella puts the blame on Paige

At SummerSlam, Paige teamed with Nikki and Brie against Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid of Fatal Influence. The trio lost, and the Bellas attacked Paige after the match.

Nikki subsequently explained her actions on SmackDown. She blamed Paige not only for the SummerSlam defeat but also for the earlier loss of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, identifying the SummerSlam result as the final breaking point.

Paige responded by disputing that version of events and pointing to her own role in previously winning the tag titles. More importantly for WWE television, she announced that she would return the following week.

That moves the issue from a post-match betrayal into an active SmackDown program rather than leaving SummerSlam as the endpoint.

Boston already has three championships at stake

Paige’s appearance joins an August 14 card that is already built heavily around championship matches.

Baron Corbin will defend the United States Championship against Carmelo Hayes, while Tiffany Stratton puts the Women’s United States Championship on the line against Jacy Jayne.

R-Truth and Damian Priest will also defend the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat Match against The MFT and The War Raiders.

Those matches give the Boston episode substantial in-ring stakes before Paige and Nikki’s conflict is even considered.